Reynard the Fox
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A mediaeval beast-epic, satirizing contemporary life and events, in which all the characters are animals. Such anthropomorphic epics were common in mediaeval France.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Reynard the Fox” mean?
A mediaeval beast-epic, satirizing contemporary life and events, in which all the characters are animals. Such anthropomorphic epics were common in mediaeval France.
Is “Reynard the Fox” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.